Sweet Serenity

[AtomicWaffle†]

Here goes...
"Alright...If we want to fix his arm, we're going to need to keep him down for this. It could get a lot worse if he moves."

Garry seemed to be keeping up his act. This 'Harry' might be a little distrustful of Garry, although he did just point a knife in his face. That can cause people to not like you. Just a little bit.
Maybe causing damage to the smaller boy's shoulder isn't the greatest idea after all. For all he knows, Harry could be decieving them all as well.

The girl at the other side of the room did not seem to be much of a threat. Her actions didn't really seem to indicate any side taken, whether she will kill or not.
And that leads to almost certain death.

Garry almost forgot. How could someone trust another when they didn't even know their name?
"I'm Garry Dodd by the way, I forgot to introduce myself. Wasn't really on my mind. Sorry about nearly putting your eyes out, Harry. I don't really care much for harming people, unless I have to defend myself."

Garry brushed the encrusted blood off of his coat, looking back at Harry and the girl, seeming to imply that he had in fact, killed someone. No, self defence was not his only reason for causing others harm, but they didn't need to know that.

"In this case, I will kill to survive the game. But right now I just want to get this kid's arm back in place so we can move to the higher levels; if we stay here too long I can assure  you all that our lives will be shorter then we want them to be." Garry seemed to be speaking very rigidly. He was tired, and needed rest. Looking down at the boy on the floor, he continued.

"Now, to pop this kid's arm back in place...I'll need someone to hold him down while I put the joint back into place. He will also need some kind of cast or sling, his shoulder is going to hurt like hell."

[Nealosi†]

Blake focused desperately to hammer his senses and speech back into coherency as the other three people stood around him. A wave of claustrophobia hit him as he realized how desperately he wanted to be out in the open and away from all these people. The drops of rain, now laden with wetness, splattered against the side of the lighthouse with increased intensity s Blake reached over to brace himself against the wall.

He bundled up a small swath of his yet un-bloodied hoodie and clenched it between his teeth. Strain built up around his jaw as he chewed desperately to avoid the coming pain in his arm. He tenses, but yielded from taking any action as the taller boy - Garry if he had heard correctly - reached down and placed a hand on his arm.

Teeth still wrapped around the ball of black cloth, wetting slowly as scant drops of saliva filled his mouth, he quickly removed his first layer. The green water-proof survival jacket landed like a sack of pennies on the floor, as the large packets jammed with salvaged goods flopped down malleably.

I'm sure that nobody is really happy about this situation, but I'll have to try my best to make the most out of temporary allies. I just have to be very careful if I'm going to try to escape here.

In his distorted thought, escape was the only option. Perhaps he was thinking a little more clearly after not having slept, as he no longer hoped to merely avoid conflict and hope that someone called in the artillery. His thoughts were all bent towards escape, and survival.

Priority one: fix arm.

Priority two: remove collar.

Priority three: get on a raft and start paddling.

In his exhaustion it seemed that his fast-past, voracious, ever pondering mind could take a breath and stop worrying about the next step. He wasn't worried about repercussions right now. Oftentimes he'd heard in war that a soldiers thinking was often his downfall. It sows seeds of doubt, and Blake had a lot of doubts, but these people gave him a glimmer of hope. Not everyone here wanted to make a hat out of his skull.

With his teeth gritted and his sleeves pulled up to reveal the disjointed and bruised arm Blake looked up at the others, his pain giving him certain clarity in thought, even if his sense were still out. Now he had a goal.

"Ok," he put on a stern grin. "Let's get this over with."

[Megami†]

Harry and Garry introduced themselves amongst the planning to reenter Blake's arm into his socket, and Maggie could only smile and nod in response.  She couldn't help but find something slightly unsettling about Garry's introduction, though.  He blatantly stated that he would only kill to defend himself, but that he would kill to survive.

It's so foolish... why would you buy into the game?  It's senseless and needless.  Murdering someone, for whatever the reason, it just isn't right.

Still, who was she to question his motives or actions?  She had no blood on her hands, yet, but she couldn't help but take a step back and ask herself the very same question.  If it came down to it, if her life were on the line and it was a live or die situation, would she raise her knife to one of the other students?  Could she really kill someone in order to survive?  Could she live with herself if she did?

She had tried not to think about it before... but her current circumstances found her mind wandering to the thought.  Before, she had been alone.  She hadn't encountered anybody else, so she hadn't really had to think about the dark side of the game.  She found herself looking at Garry, wondering if he had... how many he had.

"I'm Maggie," she threw out sheepishly while they were on the subject.

She remained lost in her own little world, barely listening as Garry seemed to dictate what needed to be done with the injured boy so that he could reset his arm.  At the mention of either holding Blake down or finding a sling, Maggie decided she should probably opt for the latter.  She wasn't a very physically imposing figure, and if the boy was going to be in as much pain as they said, her holding him down wouldn't help much.

"I can find him a sling, I think," she offered, "It'd probably be better if Harry held him down."

Blake, who had seeped back into consciousness again, seemed to be preparing himself for the inevitable pain that was to come.  Maggie really didn't want to be in the room to watch Garry fix his dislocated shoulder anyway.  In fact, she almost found the thought of watching it nauseating.  So, she decided it best to leave the boys to their business and headed off into another room of the lighthouse to search for a piece of fabric or something that could be used as a sling.

[AtomicWaffle†]

Well, all was going well. The boy on the ground seemed to be cooperating, but was his shoulder going to do the same? The procedure wasn't as simple as putting K-nex back together, there was tendons and muscles and all that good stuff to worry about. One false move and you might break, well, anything. The bottom line is that it isn't something to take as one would with a more common injury.

Interestingly enough, Garry had found out how to do this years ago, at a library of all places. The place was old, and a block of concrete fell onto a man calmly working at a computer. Bookworm that he was, Garry came across a medical encyclopedia. From then on, he learned to put a shoulder back into place.

Garry walked calmly over to the boy (Blake). Garry then took off his coat and gingerly put his hands on Blake's shoulder.
"Alright, i'm going to pop your shoulder back in place now, but i'm going to say up front: it REALLY isn't going to be a walk in the park. There's the slight probability that your arm could get worse, albeit small. But I'm sure you can't stand it as is so...Ah fuck it."

And in one quick, jerking motion...
*Crack*

[Nealosi†]

"Jeee-sus Christ!"

With a quick snap Blake's arm was back in place, though the pain was strong enough that he couldn't really tell if it was fixed or even worse. Already reeling and exhausted, Blake groped at his arm with renewed inspiration. The ball of cloth that he had firmly gripped between his teeth had fallen out as he screamed in pain, just as he thought that the pressure he applied with his jaw probably wouldn't alleviate that much pain anyway. A migraine and a dislocated shoulder are two very different things.

At least the pain had jostled him out of exhaustion once again. His brain floated like a dumpling in a soup of adrenaline once again. He wasn't sure how long this rush would last. They were consistently getting shorter, more intense, wild and seemingly uncontrollable.

He groaned and grimaced in pain for a while longer, clenching all his muscles together in a strange sort of protective release. At one point he rammed his fist into his mouth and bit down hard, drawing blood from his index finger. Sweet metallic flavours wetted his dry tongue and set it flickering in strange feral arousal.

After moments that seemed too long to recall, Blake's senses returned to him. He looked around the room, far more lucid than before, and nodded slowly to the few people that had taken shelter in the smallish lighthouse. Throbs of pain still echoed through his arm in synchronicity with his heartbeat, but he managed to mutter out a few words and maintain a certain appearance of health after his bout of thrashing in pain. It may have been a fake appearance, but he really didn't want to look anymore like a fool than they already might think he was.

"Thanks," Blake coughed through parched lips, as he began to shuffle through his other jacket, still sitting at his feet as he sat prone on the floor. "I'm not sure I heard any of your names..."

Blake coughed as he reached into his bag for one of his nearly untouched bottles of water. He swigged back, resisting the temptation to chug the whole thing, in an attempt to bring some weight to his dry monotone.

"I'm," Blake stalled, if only for a minute, wondering if the students had taken note of the announcements; his paranoia still taking grip of him. "...Hal. Hal Carpenter."

The lie rolled like a pound of iron of his sandpaper tongue, un-awkward, but heavy and painful.

[Megami†]

She could hear Blake's yelling all the way in the kitchen of the lighthouse, and it literally almost made her sick to her stomach to listen in as Harry and Garry attempted to tend to his wound.  Maggie couldn't help but feel sorry for him.  She hated to see anyone in pain, it just wasn't right.  Trying to avoid the thought of it, she busied herself digging around the cupboards and closets of the lighthouse's small kitchen.

Surely there's something in here we can use.

To her surprise, many of the cupboards had been completely cleared.  What must've once been a silverware drawer had been emptied of, oddly enough, all sharp objects.  All that remained were spoons.  It would've been almost funny in a way, but it merely indicated how thorough the people in charge of the game were.  For all her searching, she couldn't even find an extra bottle of asprin to help ease the pain.

Her search took her to the pantry next.  It was old and, she couldn't help but think, quite retro looking.  Just a simple cabinet, offset from the rest of the old kitchen appliances, and painted an awful tealish-greenish-blueish color that was quite the eyesore.  Inside the pantry, little remained, save a few boxes of rice and a couple cans of beans.  It wasn't useful at the moment, but it was something to keep in mind for later.

Finding a suitable sling was going to be more difficult than she thought.  She wandered through the lighthouse quietly in search of something suited for such a thing.  She finally found her way into the very small bedroom of the lighthouse.  Spotting the pillowcase covering the pillows of the still-made bed, she snatched it up.  It wasn't great, but it'd work.  Definitely better than nothing, anyway.

Maggie headed back toward the entryway where the rest of her allies were waiting.  Night was quickly falling over the island once again, and the darkness that cascaded into the hallways and corridors of the lighthouse made her nervous.  The rain continued to beat down relentlessly.  If anything, it seemed to have gotten worse.  Crashes of thunder and lightning illuminated the outside of the lighthouse, and the wind continued to howl viciously in the darkness.

I wonder... what you're doing right now?

The thought brought a smile to Maggie's lips, if only for a second.  If she didn't have anything else, at least she had the memories.  Memories of friends, family, and loved ones.  Memories of the people who weren't in this little game of survival... her mother, father, her brother Shawn, Taylor, Adrian.  She took solace in that fact, somehow.  Once again entering the entryway to the lighthouse, she held up the pillowcase in her hand and offered a smile to the group.

"I found this," she announced, "I know it's not much, but at least it's big enough to do something with.  There's another one if we need it... I found it in the bedroom upstairs."

[Mitsuko2†]

From: Without You



Life officially hated her. That was the one thought running through Zilya Merchenkov's mind as she trekked through the cold, lifeless caves beneath the lighthouse. He run from the housing district had led her here, and she decided it best to stake out the caves first. She swung the flashlight back and forth, searching for anything. She'd spent at least an hour in here just following the path. It was pretty damn annoying. Not a soul in sight. Maybe she should've gone to the actual lighthouse instead. She sighed and continued forward.

"Why on earth can't anything be simple? Why does this have to be so annoying?" She said to the cold empty walls. They were her only company. She was about to turn back when she heard the distinct sound of rain. It perplexed her. She started to walk a bit faster and found another entrance into the cave. She stepped out into the rain to find that it was almost adjacent to the one she'd originally took. Fuck... she'd been going in a circle.

"I'll be damned... well, now at least I know where that goes..."

Zilya decided to swallow her pride for now, and head over to the lighthouse. She put the flashlight back into the bag, as it wasn't needed, and started her hike. When she finally got there she was surprised to see the door open. Was someone in there? She slowly crept to the entrance and peeked inside. Four, maybe five people? Would they accept her? Best to just try it out. Nothing to lose... Well, a lot to lose. Moving on.

"Hello all. I'm not playing if that's any consolation." She attempted a friendly smile as she said this. She hoped they weren't crazy and/or hyper. She just couldn't handle that right now.

[Nealosi†]

((I have returned!))

The room was getting decidedly crowded as far as Blake was concerned. Under normal circumstances he was pretty down-to-earth, friendly guy. He would joke around with his classmates and as far as he was concerned nobody really hated him, and he didn't hate anyone in return. But the island changes your opinion on people. Not overlooking the recent kindness he'd found with the denizens of the lighthouse, Blake was getting increasingly pessimistic about people in general.

As the other girl entered the room Blake visibly jumped in shock, surprised again by the boldness of these people. He had reason to fear them, he'd already given them a fake name, and he'd seem a close friend go bezerk and die by his own hands. Regardless of her fine looks and reassuring words, Blake inched back towards the wall, as he began to put the layers of clothing he'd stripped back on.

He pulled his black hoodie over his head cautiously, pulling it down over his face quickly so as to not lose sight of everyone. He put on his heavy green survival coat that he'd been wearing since they drop them here. It wasn't much but it had plenty of pockets, which he'd utilized to store food and supplies (things the terrorists hadn't salvaged, such as duct tape and toilet paper) and it was rain proof.

He listened to the heavy rain pelting the side of the white house as he began increasingly more coherent. He was still panting in unison with the pain in his arm, but he had passed in and out of consciousness enough to have the equivalent of a full nights rest. Staring at the others, he contemplated pleading them to all attempt escape together, but the paranoia was enough for him to suggest otherwise.

"I'm, uh, leaving here to go find some friends," he slung his bag over his shoulder as he lied. The baby doll from Gregory Moyer clattered against his back from inside the bag. Both of his weapons were seemingly useless, but nevertheless he'd used both of them to save his life on more than one occasion. "My jacket is rain-proof and I've got enough supplies to last me a while. I'm getting out of here... Thanks for the help."

For the most part he was telling the truth. He had enough supplies to last him, he'd looted a fair bit on his time on the island, and he'd eaten very little. He stuttered and panted in exhaustion as he spoke, he was weak and tired and afraid, just like everyone else, but he was determined to get out and sort out his thoughts on his own. It was his way.

He didn't wait for a response from any of them. He quickly took up his things and wandered outside. He pulled his hood over his head as the rain pelt his jacket. He was getting his collar off and he was getting out of here. Friends or no. He was bitter, terrified, on the verge of tears. He didn't want that for anyone else.

((I'm not leaving just yet, I've got room for one more post if anyone is interested, but I've been in limbo here for too long so I'm leaving it open for Blake to leave if he needs to.))

[Megami†]

Maybe she shouldn't have been surprised when out of nowhere, another figure appeared out of the darkness in the small and broken down doorway of the lighthouse.  Since the rain started the morning prior, it seemed like this place had begun to fill to the brim with more and more people coming, not to play the game, but in search of shelter.

Be that as it may, how long would it be before someone who was coming to play the game showed up to pick off all the people who sought out shelter?

The thought chilled her to the bone, and although Maggie tried to brush it off, it was next to impossible to do.  Maybe it was the blatant truth that lay within the statement.  Maybe it was the paranoia that was slowly beginning to overtake her mind.  Whatever it was, it simply wouldn't allow the thought to go away, and instead, she continued to dwell on it, even as the new girl standing in the doorway offered out the consolation that she wasn't playing either.

Maggie studied the girl momentarily, and a slight sense of familiarity washed over her.  In a way, it was comforting.  In another, it was absolutely horrifying.

"I know you..." she began quietly, "The Russian exchange girl, right?  From Ms. Laney's class.  You... um... you had class with my brother, I think."

Does that mean...?

The thought of Shawn being on the island as well only crossed her mind for a fraction of a second before it vanished.  There was no way he was here, that was one fact that was unchangeable.  Yes, the entirety of Hobbsborough High School, save the Senior class who had been slacking off immensely as a whole, had been invited on the school-wide trip.  Fortunately though, Shawn's sports life wouldn't allow him to go on the trip.  It had been a disappointment at first, but as more time went on, Maggie found herself glad that this was a trial only she had to endure.

Maybe the last trial I'll ever have to endure...

She barely noticed as "Hal" came to and began to gather up his belongings.  It was only as he stated that he was leaving the lighthouse that he caught Maggie's attention.  Was he insane?  He was leaving to find "friends" in weather like this, during a time like this?  Maggie shook her head lightly at the mere thought of it.  It just wasn't a good idea.  Not a good idea at all.

"But you're hurt," she interjected, getting no response from him as he turned and headed out the door.  Barely considering her own actions, she moved past Zilya and followed him to the doorstep.  She wasn't normally a persistent person, but this was important.  "How do you think you're gonna survive out there alone?  You're hurt, you're defenseless... it's crazy.  I don't like this situation any more than you do, but with as many of us as there are here, at least we're safe.  If you wander out there, all by yourself, there's no telling who or what you'll run into.  I don't know you very well, but I don't want to hear Hal Carpenter on the next announcement... and if you leave, I get this feeling that I will."

[Nealosi†]

Blake looked back into the lighthouse, his foot already on the ground outside, the rain was pounding into his jacket and winds were already threatening to rip him apart. He had to squint through the rain to get a glimpse of Maggie. He had no hard feelings at all towards any of them, especially Maggie, but that's exactly why he needed to leave.

If he had to fight one of them, watch one of them die, or God forbid, even kill one of them, he didn't think he could stomach it. He couldn't just wait in there for doom to take him and the others, he had to get out, he had to find a way out, not just for himself, but for all of them. He knew he would be risking his life in doing so, and didn't want to be responsible for any more deaths.

"I have to leave, Maggie," he took a step back towards the lighthouse with a sigh. "I'm sorry, but I don't have the strength to help if... if something bad happens again."

He waited for a moment, surveying the others in the room, they were all kids. This wasn't how life was supposed to be for them. He looked down at Maggie. He leaned in close and whispered to her.

"I'm going to find a way to get these collars off," he whispered, peering at the other occupants of the lighthouse, not wanting them to hear. "I don't want to get anyone else here in trouble, and I'm not sure those boys can be trusted anyway."

His hands were shaking. The rain was still pounding on the back of his jacket; he shielded Maggie from the rain.

"I'll get in touch with you if I find a way to get these off," he pointed to the collar. He began to rush his speech, tripping over words as he tried to get out as much information as possible in the time they had left. "If you're in trouble call for me. I'll be around. Keep an eye on those other two guys, my guess is they are in it to survive. Watch out for boy #2, and don't take anything anyone tells you for fact unless you know it's 100% true. Okay? I'm really sorry about this."

He turned and ran as fast as he could into the dark night. The wind blew hard against his body and the rain pelted down on him. His hiking boats clomped through thick mud and splashed wet grime all about his body. He tried his hardest not to look back.

And miles to go before I sleep.
And miles to go before I sleep...

((Continued Elsewhere))

[Megami†]

She just stood there, absorbing the things that Hal had told her.  Maybe it was just the game getting to her, but the moment that Hal had voiced his concerns about Garry and Harry, she had become suspicious as well.  Her eyes trailed back to the interior of the lighthouse where the group was standing.  Nobody in that room had done anyone else any harm.  Not yet, anyway.  But how long would it be before someone did?  The game kept progressing forward, people kept dying, and everyone was getting closer and closer to the edge.

And it's only a matter of time before someone loses it completely.

It was a cold, hard fact.  Sometime very soon, somebody would snap.  It was only a matter of time before fear took hold and the inevitability of dying consumed someone.  She couldn't trust the people barricaded in the lighthouse, try as she might.  It was only a matter of time before they'd all end up dead.  She looked inside the building one more time.  It seemed like everyone had pretty much mellowed out and was just sitting around.  The new girl, Zilya, seemed to be readily accepted.  Nobody seemed anxious, or upset, or anything.

Still, sometime soon, somebody would go over the edge.  It didn't have to be one of the people sitting in the lighthouse now.  After all, all of them had crashed in on herself and Hal.  There was no telling how many other people would come through that door, or how many of them would be playing to win.  Maybe... maybe she should've just followed Hal after all.  Funnily enough, he seemed more stable than the group standing inside.  The others... she just got a bad vibe from them.  Something just didn't quite sit right with her, especially when it came to Garry.

I'm leaving too...

It was her best bet, one way or another.  She didn't say anything else to the group standing around in the lighthouse.  She simply grabbed her belongings, which she'd drug behind her when she'd exited the lighthouse anyway, and headed down the stone stairwell.  The rain had finally ceased, but puddles of water still soaked her shoes as she trudged down the pathway in search of a new destination.  It was scary... being out on the island in all this fog.  It was scary being out on the island anyway.  She hadn't left the lighthouse in five days.  Still, she could either venture out onto the island and see what came of it, or she could stay there and wait for the inevitable to happen.

Maybe I'll try to find Hal... or... or somebody I can trust.

It was all she could do, really.

I wish you were here with me...

It was a fleeting thought, a thought from a life she'd never again have, but it brought a smile to Maggie's lips, if only for a moment.  Just as quickly as it had come, the thought disappeared, and Maggie continued down the trail away from the lighthouse with no intention of ever returning.

((Continued elsewhere.))

[Mitsuko2†]

Zilya was beginning to prepare herself for the worst. She continued to watch on as the others in the room solemnly stood in silence. The only other girl was outside talking to the boy who left. She remembered the girl. She'd seen her with a boy from one of her classes. It was that girl's brother it seemed. Zilya sighed audibly and stepped outside a bit, watching the other girl.

The boy left quickly, and the girl seemed distraught. She was about to give her some support, but then she too, began to leave. Zilya didn't know what to think anymore. Everything was so confusing. The first person she recognizes is leaving. She's stuck with a group of guys she didn't know. That spelled two words in Zilya's mind, Bad news. She could follow the girl she assumed, but what would that do? It would make her look dependant, and weak.

She was in no way weak.

The announcements rang out across the island and made Zilya flinch the slightest bit. She listened to the names of those who died. Two of the boys who were chosen to go to Hobbs as transfers with her were dead. She prayed for their souls silently. She had no choice. She couldn't stay here. It was time for her to go.

I'm alone again...

She began to walk through the fog and hope. Hope to find someone who could be kind to her. Someone she might call a friend.


Continued: To Awake and Avenge the Dead

[AtomicWaffle†]

Garry walked towards the door. Things weren't going to plan. The other "combatants" were leaving the lighthouse, out of his reach. The storm had ended, and nobody had any reason to stay in the Lighthouse. If anything, they had reasons to leave. The lighthouse wasn't the most inconspicuous place to hide. Not to mention all of the crazies were bound to be on the move. Garry had gotten barely any sleep, food, or...well...anything. He slumped against the wall and slowly opened his pack. Great. Crackers, and water. The millitary feeds their prisoners bread and water simply to plug up their bowels. "Ergh...I could SO go for a fucking grilled cheese sandwich right now." He rubbed his eyes. Sleep...Fucking hell. Garry never was that smart when it came to sleeping habits. Sometimes, he would stay up for hours at a time, completely zoned out. Before he knew it, the clock rang for him to get up. He hadn't slept an hour, staring at the screen on his computer, desprately searching for answers to whatever obscure thing he could think of. His life was kind of sad like that. So obsessed with his own chaotic thoughts that he paid no attention to his mundane life. Or at least, until now. He ran his finger down the side of his face.

"Well...Ugh...I'm going to take my leave now, bud. See you in hell...Or whatever...."

Garry took a final sip of his water-bottle, and left the lighthouse.

((Continued in Forever Falling, Part one.))